BOY WITH THE BREAD OR AN ARROW THROUGH THE HEAD?
by FireBeatsRoses
Summary: After President Coins assassination, Katniss discovers Panem hasn't really changed when her fate is to be decided on live television, behind two doors one containing certain death the other her possible future. Based on The Lady and The Tiger.


**_This is my first Hunger Games story, it's a one-shot. It's the first one-shot that I have ever done. I was inspired to write this FanFiction because of my English Language coursework style model and it was a great short story written about 50 or 60 years ago and I thought it worked great with The Hunger Games. So I hope you enjoy it! _**

***Correction edits***

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><p><strong>BOY WITH THE BREAD OR AN ARROW THROUGH THE HEAD<strong>

**After President Coins assassination, Katniss discovers Panem hasn't really changed when her fate is to be decided on live television, behind two doors one containing certain death the other her possible future. **

Katniss pulled back her arrow ready to fire. She would not miss, the arrow was aimed straight towards the white rose set across President Snows heart. Katniss drew in a shaking breath glancing toward President Coin the soon-to-be leader of Panem. Doubt began to fill Katniss' mind as she looked at President Snows amused facial expression, was what President Snow said true? Katniss shifted her bow, she had decided before the crowd could react, the arrow shot from her bow and President Coin tumbled from the balcony. Peacekeepers from all sides tackled Katniss to the floor, she spluttered, winded by the force of the blow, Katniss struggled desperately to fill her lungs with air as she struggled against the peacekeepers dragging her up from the floor and onto her feet. She searched for Gales face in the frenzy that had broken out, searching, for the one person who could prevent her from being imprisoned for the rest of her life. But when Katniss found Gales face it was pale white with a stony expression, she pleaded with her eyes for him to stop them, for him to kill her right there and then. But he turned away from her. Katniss' heart sank. Gale would not save her, just as she had not saved him from the terrible fate that could have awaited him. Katniss felt numb, she stopped struggling to free herself from the peacekeepers, admitting defeat. Her mind raced in that thought provoking moment, as she contemplated what fate would await her. Were they going to kill her? Leave her to rot in some dark dank cell or to suffer the most horrific torture imaginable? She was handcuffed, blindfolded and dragged through the corridors to goodness knows where. Suddenly she was dropped to the floor and the handcuffs removed from her wrists. The door closed behind her and she quickly removed the blindfold. She recognised where she was at once, it was the training centre for The Hunger Games. She was locked in her old room, stuck with no way out. Katniss struggled to her feet peering around the bare and empty room, her body aching and bruised from the onslaught of her captors and she limped towards the bed and fell onto the dirty stained mattress eventually drifting in and out of an uncomfortable sleep.

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><p>The door opened and Katniss turned slowly, she recognised Haymitch making his way slowly towards her. She sat up quickly peering a Haymitch quizzically,<br>"How you doing, sweetheart?" Haymitch asked giving Katniss a small smile. Katniss did not return the gesture keeping her eyes fixed on Haymitch who took a seat beside her on the mattress.  
>"What are they going to do to me?" Katniss asked in a hollow voice, Haymitch sat quietly for a moment as if contemplating how to phrase whatever news he had to break to her.<br>"Your fate is to be decided on live television..." Haymitch began in a strained voice, without meeting Katniss' grey eyes. "You will be put into an arena in which you can decide between two doors." Haymitch continued solemnly. "One door will contain your death, the other door with contain your future." Haymitch added, Katniss frowned at him. Her heart sank in despair. The rebellion hadn't changed anything. The capitol still entertained by the Mockingjay's possible death. Prim, Finnick, Boggs, Cinna and so many others who had died for the rebellion to succeed had all been for nothing. Panem had not changed. Katniss nodded, blocking out all emotions. She felt empty, defeated and totally alone. "They have decided that your fate is in your own hands." Haymitch said finally after a few painful minutes of silence. Haymitch sat with Katniss for awhile, without saying anything. Staring out of the window watching the red embers of the sun setting on the horizon.

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><p>The appointed day of Katniss' trial arrived. People from all around the Capitol had gathered at the breathtakingly illuminated arena, its huge walls echoed with the thunderous noise of the excited crowd awaiting the fate of the crushed young girl stood before them. That day she would be meeting her death or her future, this all depended on the door she chose, the whole affair made Katniss feel sick to the empty pit of her stomach, the realisation that Panem's barbaric traditions still stood. Gale and many other officials sat opposite the twin doors. Katniss walked to the centre of the arena, the roar of the Capitol crowd intensified, her heart hammered peering up into the crowds of Capitol spectators, all their eyes fixed on her. Katniss gazed searchingly into the officials box, desperately in search of Gale, their eyes locked. She barely noticed Haymitch, Plutarch and her mother sat at his side. Katniss' seam eyes did not leave Gales. Why was Gale allowing this to happen to her? Had their friendship broken down some much so that now they were just strangers to one another? It certainly felt that way. After the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games their relationship had never really been the same, this is what the Capitol had done, torn Gale from her life or had she done that herself?<p>

Gale's grey eyes met with Katniss' and a tight knot formed in his throat, Katniss Everdeen, the young twelve year old girl from District twelve who he had met in the woods was gone. Gales heart was filled with loss and despair he had lost her, but who should have her? Katniss was no longer Gales anymore Katniss was Peeta's. Gale knew he would never have Katniss not after that day, Gale had lost her after his invention killed her only sister, Prim. She could never forgive him knowing that it was his trap that had caused her little sister's death. Gale knew which door contained Katniss' executioner but behind the other stood Peeta Mellark, a blonde boy from District twelve, he too also loved Katniss. Peeta was Katniss' award if fate decided she were to have a future with him and Gale hated this. Often he had watched in the Games in which Katniss and Peeta had frequently kissed, and even though he knew that Peeta Mellark was Katniss' suitor, with his smooth words and brilliant blue eyes, he felt a burning jealousy towards Peeta, who stood behind the silent doors awaiting to hopefully be reunited with his first and only love.

Gale's soul burned in anger and resentment at the thought of Katniss running towards Peeta, a triumphant smile on her face, and watching the priest make them man and wife before his very eyes. Would it not be better for her to die? After all that is what she had wanted him to do when she had assassinated President Coin, and yet the possibility of the arrow being shot through her head, the blood and the cries of despair. Could he really allow that to happen? Gale knew that Katniss would search for his face, knew that he would know the answer to what lay behind each door. He had decided what he would answer without the slightest hesitation.

When Gale met Katniss' pleading look, his face pale and white compared to everyone else in the arena. Katniss saw in Gales face, he knew behind which door stood the archer and behind which stood Peeta. Katniss sent a inconspicuous anxious glance toward Gale which he instantly knew she was asking "Which?" as if she shouted the question across the arena, but Gale knew this was only noticed by him. Gale needed to react, to give her and answer in a unnoticeable way, Gale raised his right arm to scratch the back of his head, no one but Katniss saw him, every eye was fixed on her as they waited anxiously to find out her fate. Katniss turned, and with confidence in her step she walked across the empty space towards the doors. Every single eye was fixed on her, the crowd waited with baited breath and anticipation of what could be a quick and horrific death, or a relieving happy moment. Katniss did not hesitate as her hand reached for the door on the right and opened it. Clarity, in that fleeting millisecond shot through her body as the realisation of her fate hit home!

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><p><em><strong>I hope you enjoyed the suspense, which fate do you think Gale chose for Katniss? <strong>_


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